History of the Khaljis, A.D. 1290–1320 c3.s2.3

c3.s2.3

This tempting advice did not fall upon deaf ears. ‘Alāuddīn himself thirsted for a diversion from the miseries of an unhappy home. Eversince his marriage with Jalāluddīn’s daughter, he had not been happy with her. As a royal princess she tried to dominate over her husband. The sudden rise of her father had made her exceedingly vain. Her impudence greatly distressed ‘Alāuddīn but he was avers to bringing the disobedience of his wife before the sultan. All the same he smarted under a sense of humiliation¹⁰ and used to consult his associates how to end his troubles. Hājjīuddabīr elucidates the cause of misunderstanding between ‘Alāuddīn and his consort. He says that ‘Alāuddīn had two wives,—one, the daughter of the sultan, and the other Māhrū, a sister of Malik Sanjar, later known as Alp Khān. Intelligence of the fact that ‘Alāuddīn had another wife enraged the king’s daughter and she began to pry into the affairs of her husband.¹¹ One day when the amorous couple were *tête-à-tête* in a garden, Jalāluddīn's daughter arrived on the scene and began to belabour Māhrū with her sandal. 'Alāuddīn could hardly bear this insult and in a fit of violence he assaulted his uncle's daughter with his sword but luckly she escaped only with a few minor injuries.¹²